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Book Description

Cady Summers thinks she has all her ducks in a row: great house, beautiful family. Then her estranged twin sister Cam shows up…pregnant. Envious of her sister’s condition and lonely with a teenage daughter and a workaholic husband, Cady’s life no longer seems to have the perfect order she has always cherished.

A recovering drug addict and absentee mother of two, Cam Taylor has never had any order in her life. Afraid of his reaction to her pregnancy, Cam flees the man she loves, seeking refuge in the only home she still knows.

Can the love between the two sisters provide a healing balm for the wounds of her scarred marriage or will Cady seek solace in the arms of another man? Can the reunion with her sister give Cam the courage she needs to face the man she loves or will she let her past mistakes come between them?

Cady Summers thinks she has all her ducks in a row: great house, beautiful family. Then her estranged twin sister Cam shows up…pregnant. Envious of her sister’s condition and lonely with a teenage daughter and a workaholic husband, Cady’s life no longer seems to have the perfect order she has always cherished.

A recovering drug addict and absentee mother of two, Cam Taylor has never had any order in her life. Afraid of his reaction to her pregnancy, Cam flees the man she loves, seeking refuge in the only home she still knows.

Can the love between the two sisters provide a healing balm for the wounds of her scarred marriage or will Cady seek solace in the arms of another man? Can the reunion with her sister give Cam the courage she needs to face the man she loves or will she let her past mistakes come between them?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michelle Garren Flye is the award-winning romance author of five novels. Her most recent novel, Where the Heart Lies, has been described as an “engaging novel with charming and likable characters” and a story that “will make you believe in love and second chances.” Michelle placed third in the Hyperink Romance Writing Contest for her short story “Life After”. Her short stories have been published by the romance anthology Foreign Affairs, Opium.com, SmokelongQuarterly.com and Flashquake.com. She has served on the editorial staffs of Horror Library Volume 1, Horror Library Volume 3, Butcher Shop Quartet, Butcher Shop Quartet II and Tattered Souls. Michelle has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is the mother of three and lives in North Carolina with her husband and their rapidly growing collection of pets. Links: Blog: BREATHE: http://michellegflye.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michelle-Garren-Flye/132688623422175 Twitter: @michellegflye

I'll start off by saying that I don't usually read Romance novels. I did, however, read this one because it was offered as a free Kindle e-book and was written by someone whose work I am already familiar with.

Ducks in a row is a well-written, thought-provoking novel and is not what I expect from a typical romance, most of which far too often are vapid and oftentimes banal portrayals of unrealistic characters caught up in idiotic situations.

This novel, however, offers a pragmatic glimpse into the unromantic life of a couple long-married and on the verge of drifting apart because each spouse has begun to take the other for granted.

The pacing is quick and smooth throughout. No where does the story drag. The subject matter, (the slow death of a marriage) puts the reader in an uncomfortable emotional place. As we see Cady, the protagonist, swept up with feelings for a man other than her husband, it's hard to look at and away from the imminent train wreck in progress. We know that in the end someone will get hurt.

This is a very beautiful but painful story that shows a family at a breaking point, a woman finally facing her fears to become a real adult, and the wreckage that gets left behind as you try to avoid facing facts to do the hard things such as make a marriage work.

Cady is shocked when her estranged sister shows up on her doorstep pregnant and running from the father of her baby. She's also at a major crisis point in a marriage that seems to be more about the motions than being real. She latches on to her sister in an attempt to replace her work-a-holic husband and teenage daughter but soon this isn't enough as her sister starts to stand on her own feet. She then jumps at the chance to take a part-time job with a man that could mean the death of her marriage as they have a strong attraction for one another but she'd never cross that line, would she, and he would never ask her to, or wouldn't he? She's a good woman who makes some bad choices in this story but they do come from a painfully honest place that even though I can't condone those decisions I can't condemn her for them either.

Cam is struggling. She's already had three husbands and two kids who she has nothing to do with but this latest pregnancy has her scared in more than one way. She runs to her sister believing that the perfect family life will give her the chance to figure things out and make a better decision. When she sees that things aren't perfect with her sister's marriage she really steps up to try to help Cady before a horrible mistake can be made. She also finds out that maybe just maybe a real love is in her life to stay if she can just let him in. She grows up a lot in this book and watching her finally embrace being present in her own life was wonderful to see. I liked that even when her life was falling apart she really did want to help her sister and even learned a few things in the process that should mean a wonderful future for her and her baby.

I'm going to leave this review short and not mention the men that play a major role in this story but between them and the drama that having a teenager brings to life it really ultimately is a story of two sisters finally finding true happiness with the family they love. Please do not read this if you have a fundamental issue with cheating as I'm not going to whitewash Cady's relationship although I can say that a certain line isn't crossed but for some people this idea of even emotionally cheating or fooling around with someone outside their marriage would be an extreme hard limit so if it is one of yours please don't read. I would recommend it to anyone else but I do want to emphasize there is a major betrayal that happens and I wouldn't want you to be unhappy to read something that is unforgivable to your sensibilities. I found it to be a tragic story in some ways with a glimmer of hope that even at our bleakest moments real love can conquer all.

Thanks to Michelle Garren Flye for asking me if I would be willing to review this. She did not ask for anything other than my honest opinion and I can gladly say that this was a wonderful read. I'm just sorry it took me so long to pull it out of my TBR pile.Read more ›

In Michelle Garren Flye's Ducks in a Row twin sisters Cady Summers and Cam Taylor are at very different places in their lives. Stay at home mom Cady puts her marriage at risk as she becomes increasingly resentful of her husband's grueling work schedule. Cam's unexpected pregnancy gives her the opportunity to repair her damaged relationships with her family. Despite their differing opinions on what the other should do, Cam and Cady provide one another unwavering support as they try to figure out what direction their lives are going to take.

While Ducks in a Row is about both sisters, the story mainly focuses on Cady. She is a well-developed character but I had difficulty connecting with her and the decisions she makes. Cady is full of righteous indignation at her husband Neil's long hours, but instead of discussing it with him, she continues to seethe over his neglect. I am not laying all of the blame at Cady's feet; Neil is equally guilty of not talking about the stress he is currently experiencing. Neil senses Cady's unhappiness, encourages her to make some changes in her life and Cady makes the fateful decision to work for her close friend Will Hubbard.

Underlying Will and Cady's friendship is a strong attraction for one another. Cady is soon basking in the attention that Will showers on her and their relationship is becoming more and more intimate. Cady does not want to hurt either Neil or Will, but she is unable to walk away from what she has found with Will.

Michelle Garren Flye does not hesitate to tackle some pretty uncomfortable subjects in Ducks in a Row. This well-written and thought-provoking novel provides a realistic look into how two people who love one another can find themselves on the verge of losing everything when they stop communicating and begin taking each other for granted.

One of the best books I have read this year, very thought provoking.Ducks in a Row is not only about the twin sisters: Cam & Cady, but about family. Everything about this book was well-written. Michelle brings you close to the characters, you can understand their logical, or what seems to be, thinking. This book has so much depth on so many levels. The thought process, and how everything played out was so great! I could hardly put this book down, such a pleasant read. I got through half of 370 pages by the time I knew it. I wanted to finish this book, and I am so glad I did.This book can be an emotional read especially if you have been through a tragic cheating situation; however, it doesn’t lead to every detail, but it could be something hard to overcome emotionally. So, just know that is the only thing I will say about that, because it did hit home to me on a lot of occasions, but I still made it through. Michelle did shine light on marriages and how we shouldn’t take anyone for granted from husbands, sisters, to children (family). Go ahead, grab your copy today. It really is that good.<a href="http://werejumpinbooks.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/review-ducks-in-a-row/">We're Jumpin' Books</a>

More About the Author

Michelle Garren Flye is the award-winning romance author of six novels. Reviewers have described her work as: "an engaging novel with charming and likable characters", a story that "will make you believe in love and second chances", and a "well-written and thought-provoking novel."

Michelle placed third in the Hyperink Romance Writing Contest for her short story "Life After". Her short stories have been published by the romance anthology Foreign Affairs, Opium.com, SmokelongQuarterly.com and Flashquake.com. She has served on the editorial staffs of Horror Library Volume 1, Horror Library Volume 3, Butcher Shop Quartet, Butcher Shop Quartet II and Tattered Souls.

Michelle has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is the mother of three and lives in North Carolina with her husband and their rapidly growing collection of pets.